American

Oil & Gas

Historical Society

About Us

U.S. petroleum history provides

a context for understanding the

modern energy business.

The American Oil & Gas Historical Society (AOGHS) is dedicated to preserving U.S. petroleum history, which provides a context for understanding the modern energy business. This history, which began in August 1859 with the first commercial U.S. well in Pennsylvania, has often been neglected in discussions about meeting America’s future energy needs. AOGHS offers energy education resources, including links to community oil and gas museums, county historical societies, libraries, and others dedicated to material preservation.

Latest Popular

Articles & Updates

June 1, 1860 - First Book about Oil published Less than 10 months after Edwin L. Drake completed the first commercial U.S. oil well at Oil Creek in Titusville, Pennsylvania, an 80-page pamphlet was published that some historians regard as the first book about America’s...

"Conundrums” spooled off steel pipe when towed across the English Channel after D-Day. To provide vital oil across the English Channel after the June 6, 1944, D-Day landings, within months secret pipelines were unwound from massive spools to reach French ports. ...

Thousands of glass-negative images preserve earliest scenes of U.S. petroleum industry. Soon after the first American oil well of 1859 launched the U.S. petroleum industry in northwestern Pennsylvania, a young immigrant from England made his living as a photographer...

Education Centers & Resources

Research Forums

Cities Service Bowling Teams?

I was wondering if there are any records or pictures of bowling leagues and teams for Cities Service in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Houston, Texas, or Lafayette, Louisiana. I would appreciate any information. My dad was on the team. – Lisa

Oilfield Storage Tanks?

My family has a farm in western PA and once had a small oil pump on the land. I’m trying to learn how the oil was transported from the pump. I know a man came in a truck more than once each week… – Lauren.

Early Gasoline Pumps?

For the smaller, early stations from around 1930, was the gas stored in a tank in the ground below the dispenser/pump? – Chris

Category Topics

Petroleum Artifacts & Memorabilia

Pages for posting questions, comments, and advice and for researchers, preservationists, and collectors seeking information about the history of artifacts relating to exploration and production technologies, petroleum products, transportation, storage, retail sales, and MORE.

Oil & Gas Families: Personal Stories

Have a family heirloom or other artifacts relating to petroleum history? Many community oil and gas museums can help preserve personal and professional stories…MORE.

Photography & Video Collections

The history of American radio, TV, and film offers portrayals of the U.S. petroleum exploration, production and transportation industries. Many public domain archives provide free access…MORE.

Preserving Old Photographs

The care, handling, and storage of photographs: How to preserve your photographic prints from all eras of photography (and negatives)..MORE.

"Is My Old Oil Stock worth Anything?"

A Q&A forum for sharing details about old and often obscure petroleum stock certificates, many from the early 1900s. Before posting, review our updated business histories of hundreds of old oil and natural gas companies..MORE.

Preserving Audio/Visual Recordings

The Library of Congress offers tips for preserving optical discs, magnetic tape, and other materials with inherent chemical instabilities. Good storage is especially critical to the preservation of these materials….MORE.

History of oil and Gas

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Stay up to date with the latest news about the history of the oil and natural gas industry and modern energy education programs with our weekly newsletter, "This Week in Petroleum History."

American Oil & Gas Historical Society

U.S. petroleum history provides a context for understanding how to meet America’s future energy needs.Join AOGHS and support historical content on this website.